Not when the wider Volkswagen Group has a new Skoda Superb that will muscle its way farther into that market. No, this time, as well as competing against high-end large family cars, VW is ever more serious about pitching the Passat against compact executives such as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The truth is that it’s one of the few mainstream manufacturers with a sufficiently carefully nurtured brand cachet to do it.

Now in its eighth generation, more than 22 million Passats have been sold worldwide since the original was launched in 1973

In reality, though, the Passat has been on the way to this position for years. The new version is its eighth generation, and more than 22 million have been sold worldwide since the original was launched in 1973 (and even then it was a development of the Audi 80, Volkswagen having just acquired the brand).

Almost half a million of those sales have been in the UK, and with good reason. The Passat hasn’t often led the class outright – at least, not for those who like their saloon cars to come with a modicum of driver enjoyment and involvement – but if you are a buyer who puts interior feel and refinement at the top of your list of priorities, the big Volkswagen has been as good a buy as you’ll find at this level.